Lost Love
by MysteryWriter36
Summary: After speaking with a street performer/waitress, Count Bleck and the others invite a young woman to live at Castle Bleck. She claims to have boring past not worth mentioning. But after a little digging, it is discovered that her past is full of pain and sorrow, and that she is in an endless search for someone. Will she find her lost love? NEW CHAPTER UP!
1. Prologue

**PS. I would've put other characters on the list under the summary, but I didn't want to reveal or foreshadow anything before ya read the story. Anyways, enjoy! Also, this is exclusively set in the world of Super Paper Mario.**

* * *

"A-are you ok?" asked a young woman. "Ugh..." groaned the fallen male. His eyes slowly fluttered open to see a slightly tan-skinned female with long, wavy hair and radioactive green eyes. Her expression was one of concern as she looked into his bright yellow eyes. She sat next to him, on his left, her right hand under his head and her left hand brushing the dirt and dust from his face. She helped him slowly sit up. "W-what happened? Where am I?" He then looked at the girl again. "And who are you?" The girl seemed relieved. "Oh good, I thought you were dead or something. Anyways, to answer your questions in order: You took quite a fall and now you're at the bottom of a slightly high cliff. And my name is Violet, which refers to my hair of course. But, _I'm_ not important right now, you are. Now tell me, does it feel like you have any broken bones?" She continued to ask him several questions, making sure he was alright. She also used magic to conjure up an x-ray. He had two broken ribs, a fractured wrist, and a broken leg. A tear rolled down Violet's cheek as she saw how badly he was hurt. He was also covered with numerous cuts, scrapes, and bruises. Most of the scrapes and cuts were bleeding, though, not severely. "Well, I can either heal your numerous cuts, scrapes, and bruises, as well as both ribs or your fractured wrist. Or I could heal just your wrist and leg. Or I can heal both ribs and your wrist. Which would you rather have happen?" she asked. "Well, my minor injuries are of no problem, but as of my broken bones, I'd say,..." He thought for a moment. "Both my ribs and my fractured wrist." he answered. "Ok, hold on. This won't hurt, but it might take a while." Violet told him. She placed one hand on his chest and the other, gently, around his fractured wrist. Even though she didn't put too much pressure on his wrist or chest, he still grimaced in pain. Violet closed her eyes as a dim light eminated from her hands. He could feel the pain in chest and on his wrist fade away until there wasn't any. She opened her eyes and asked, "Do you feel anymore pain in you wrist or chest?" He then replied, "Well, I know my ribs aren't broken anymore, but I can't tell if my wrist is ok because you're still holding it." Violet bushed as she quickly removed her hands from his wrist and chest. "Sorry. Anyways, you know my name, so tell me yours." As he tested his wrist, he gave his answer, "I'm Dontellano. I'm a..." Dontellano paused, not wanting to finish his sentence. "You're a what?" Violet asked. Dontellano said in a whisper voice, "I'm a member of the Darkness Tribe." Violet looked as if she didn't believe him. "But the people of the Darkness Tribe are cruel, and evil, and, um, they don't have skin that's pale. At least, I've never been told that they do. Heck, far as I know they have dark blue skin, black hair, and their eyes can be red, orange, or yellow. Are you sure you didn't just hit your head hard and now you think that?" Dontellano shook his head. "I'm sure. I know the pale skin is strange for a member of the Darkness Tribe. In fact, some thought I was a fluke, and that I wasn't even a member of the tribe. But after a few tests, it was concluded that I was the child of two tribe members, and my pale skin was just a rare occurance." Violet's smile widened. "People said the same thing about my eyes. They said it was like my irises were made of radioactive ooze. I told those people they were crazy, which they were." Violet said. Dontellano and Violet continued to talk for the next couple of hours. Dontellano found himself quite taken with Violet's personality.

* * *

There she was, living what she would say was the best moment of her life. Violet was pinned against a tree, kissing Dontellano, her finger twirling a lock of his hair that matched her hair color. She had gotten a lock of her hair dyed to match the color of his hair too. She had known him for a few months, and she had just learned that he loved her. She loved him too. She had just carved into the tree she had her back to: V+D 4-Ever. And it was surrounded by a heart with an arrow through it. How could the day get any better? They pulled apart, and Violet rested the side of her head on his chest, beaming. Dontellano was smiling too, and both of them had their eyes closed. Violet's eyes shot open as she remembered something. "Dontellano, there's something you must know. Last night, at the dinner party my mother spoke of-" Dontellano placed a finger over her lips to silence her. "Don't worry, I'm sure it was nothing bad." he assured Violet. "No, it was bad. He spoke of a plan to end the Darkness Tribe; a plan to kill each and every one of its members." said Violet, fear in her voice. A serious look appeared on Dontellano's face, and a tear rolled down Violet's cheek. "Shhh, don't worry, it's ok." he cooed as he wiped the tear away. He pulled her in for hug, trying to console her. Then they heard a strange sound as something rushed past their ears. They opened their eyes to see an arrow imbedded in the tree about two inches from Violet's face. Violet turned pale, daring to look over Dontellano's shoulder. She was frightened by what she saw. There was a tall man with dark blue skin and black hair. His red eyes were burning with fury. He held a bow in his hand with a quiver of arrows over his shoulder. More men appeared behind him. A few dozen, at least. Then she heard leaves and twigs being crushed and snapped behind her. She saw many human and Light Tribe men. About the same number as the Darkness Tribe. Violet shivered in fear. Dontellano held her close, determined not to let anyone hurt her. The Light Tribe and the humans charged towards the Darkness Tribe. During the fight, Dontellano and Violet ran until they were at a cliff. They couldn't jump because if they did, they would die. They were cornered by humans and members of the Light Tribe. A woman with tan skin and long honey-colored hair stepped forward. "Violet, get away from that...that monster!" she ordered. "No mother! I...I...I love him! And I won't leave him!" Violet yelled at her mother. A look of digust crossed her mother's face. "So be it. Grab them and separate them!" she ordered. "No!" cried Violet. They were taken to the a human camp where, for being near her daughter, Violet's mother had Dontellano punished punished publicly. But as the whip went to hit his back once more, Violet ran through the crowd and stood in the way. The whip hit her face, leaving a deep, burning cut. A collective gasp arose from the crowd as they backed a few feet away. Violet held one hand on the right side of her face. Even though it hurt, she spoke, "You and my mother have gone out your way to punish him to such severity, and all because we are in love! Where has your sanity and humanity gone!? You people are nothing but hateful, heartless, evil beings. Especially you two!" Violet pointed to the lasher and her mother. She put her hands down and turned on her heel, then walked to Dontellano. "Violet, get away from that monster." her mother ordered. Violet acted as if she didn't hear her mom. She knelt down next to her beloved and removed a blanket that was tied around her waist. "Violet, get away from that Monster!" her mother yelled loudly. Violet placed the blanket over Dontellano's back muttering "_Shut up, mother!_"under her breath. She grabbed a knife and cut the rope tying Dontellano to the post. She helped Dontellano up, then gently wrapped her arms around him, tears streaming down her cheeks like two miniature rivers. "Violet! I won't tell you again! Get away from that MONSTER!" Violet's eyes burned with pain and fury. She turned and glared at her mother and yelled, "Shut up mother! He's not a monster! YOU ARE!" Just then, members of the Darkness Tribe ran up. The tallest of them grabbed Violet's mom by her neck and demanded to know where Dontellano was. She pointed in Violet's direction, and the man dropped her. He walked over to Dontellano and Violet, Dontellano stepping protectively in front of Violet. The man raised an eyebrow. "Why do you insist upon protecting this girl?" asked the man, in deep voice. "Because I love her." Dontellano answered. "Well then, come along, both of you."

* * *

"Happy 21st birthday!" Dontellano's father said to him. "It would be happier if Violet were here? Do you know where she is?" Dontellano's father grinned maliciously. "I got rid of that vixen. And now I will wipe your memory of every moment she was there, from the day you two met, up to now." Dontellano jumped up. "What?! No!" But it was too late. Men had grabbed his arms and legs, holding him down. "Now, now, don't squirm. In a minute, you won't even remember her." Little did he know, Dontellano had anticipated this. Just a day earlier, he had given Violet a bottle. One drink of the potion inside would restore his memory. But having his memory erased of Violet would mean she would have to find him. And that wouldn't be easy. But that day, she swore to search as long as she had to, to find him, to restore his memory, and never leave his side again. She also swore she wouldn't love anyone else. No one but Dontellano.

* * *

**I have no words. And I wrote this for goodness sake! *Shrugs and leaves to go watch tv and drink soda***


	2. A New Friend & Resident At Castle Bleck

"So, um, Count. The schedule says that after Mimi's _shopping spree_ we all break for coffee and whatever else at the café." informed Nastasia. "Nassy, you said shopping spree as if it were a bad thing." said Mimi, pulling along her numerous shopping bags full of clothes. O'chunks was trying not to step on the bags because he knew if he did, Mimi would have his head for it. Dimentio simply floated in the air. It had been discovered that he did not die after being defeated, and he asked if Bleck & Tippi (Blumiere & Timpani), who had also been found recently, would allow him to stay with them all. So they were all sort of like a family. Mr. L would've been there, but he was at the castle working on Brobot. Dimentio would have released him, allowing him to turn back into Luigi, but instead he split Luigi's two personalities into two people. Allowing for there to be a Luigi and a Mr. L. Lady Timpani, who was now a human, walked next to Lord Blumiere, and Nastasia stayed at the front of the group. But as they rounded the corner they all heard singing and spotted a young woman playing a guitar. She was surrounded by a small crowd of people listening to her. She looked like she was in her mid 20's, with purple hair and green eyes. She wore a purple dress that closely matched her hair, and some black was on the dress. She also wore opaque black tights, and a pair of black boots. Her eyes were strange shade of green, and her hair was waist length with a streak of black through it. She strummed her guitar as she played the instrumental to her song. She was in about the middle of the song, singing:

My heart's been broken  
So many times before  
Promises forgotten  
Left shattered on the floor  
I have seen the same damn thing  
Countless times, it's getting old  
All your friends, they build you up  
And tear you down, it feels so cold  
But that's okay  
I'll be okay

Don't share your blessings  
My love, it can't be bought  
Don't give me kindness  
It's all a cheap façade.  
Don't tell me it'll be perfect  
I'm done with that you see  
I'm over relationships  
And I need nobody else  
I'm fine with no one else

Their kind words, confusing  
Their love is infusing  
I won't get hurt again  
I can't get hurt again

My heart is crying  
Neglected and confused  
These lonely days now  
I'll Leave them all behind  
Leave them all behind

I'm trusting you...

* * *

The entire crowd clapped. Even Dimentio, who said, "Bravo, bravo, not bad for a girl with nothing but an acoustic guitar and her voice." Everyone turned to look at Dimentio, but just shrugged and said, "What?" The crowd dispersed except for Mimi, Nastasia, O'chunks, Dimentio, Lady Timpani, and Lord Blumiere. The street performer smiled. "Thank-you Dimentio." She took a small bow. "Well, seems like Dimmy's famous." Mimi complained. "I told you never to call me that!" Dimentio told Mimi. "He's not the only one I know out of your group. I know you Mimi, and Nastasia, and O'chunks. And last but certainly not least, Count Bleck and Tippi. Also known as Lord Blumiere and Lady Timpani." The girl bowed to them. "You seem to have quite the knowledge of our group." observed Timpani. "Definately. I even know how Dimentio prefers to address himself." Dimentio raised an eyebrow. The girl cleared her throat and, in her most dramatic performance voice, said, "Master of dimensions, pleaser of crowds, I am... Dimentio!" Everyone laughed. Dimentio said, "Not bad, not bad. I'm surprised you even know that." The girl began to remove the guitar strap from around her neck. "Well, it's time for me to go to work. I work at the café down the street." She picked up the hat she had set out and pocketed the money. She stuffed the hat into a rolling suitcase with her guitar. They began walking down the street. "It just so happens that's where we're headed as well." said Timpani. "Cool." replied the girl. "Ya know what, I'm being impolite. I haven't even properly introduced myself. I'm Vanessa. Of course you already know I'm a street performer and that I work down here, so there really isn't anything else to tell, I guess."

* * *

Once they got there, Vanessa went behind the counter and sat her case down. Then she started taking orders. The others sat down at a table. She spent a lot of time talking with them since the café wasn't too busy, and they didn't seem in any hurry to leave. "Well, it's 4:30, my shift is over. I'll se you all later." said Vanessa. "So, what, are you going back to the street corner?" asked Mimi. "Yeah. I play until about 6:30, then I go to my apartment. I share it with a... a friend of mine." They all seemed surprised, and even a little appauled. "You stay with a friend of yours?" Timpani asked. "Yeah, every night. I sleep on the couch, he sleeps in the bed, sometimes we switch around to be fair to each other. But you wouldn't believe what he said to me the other night." Vanessa shivered. "He came up behind me, wrapped his arms around my waist, and whispered into my ear: Ya know, Vanessa, this apartment is soundproof. Ever since, he continued to act normal, but I've been scared out of my mind. I just...whatever, I'll be ok. Anyways, see ya." Vanessa got up and walked out the door. Nastasia looked at Bleck. "Um, sir. Should we invite her to stay at the castle?" she asked. "Yes Nastasia. Please go tell her now." he ordered. Nastasia jumped out of her chair and walked out the door. Once she found Vanessa, she respectfully waited until she finished her song, then invited her to stay at the castle. By then, the others had paid for lunch and were standing behind Nastasia. "Well, I wouldn't want to intrude." she said. "Not at all, Miss Vanessa. There is plenty of room. And we would love to have you stay at Castle Bleck." Count Bleck told Vanessa. "Well, as long as none of you object, sure. I'd love to. Thank-you for your most generous offer." The Count smiled widely. "Good. Just to make sure you find the castle, I will leave someone here with you." The Count looked at his minions and wife, thinking about whether or not they had something to do. Nastasia, Timpani, and himself had planned on doing some paperwork. O'chunks had chores, and Mimi had to put all her clothes away. And that would definantely take a long time. There was only one person left. The Count sighed. "Unfortunately, I have to leave you with...Dimentio." Dimentio grinned, and for a moment the grin looked malicious. "Well, since I'll be here, I guess I should tell her about the castle." said the jester as he walked to the front of the group. He locked eyes with Vanessa, he and the others expecting her eyes or expression to show some fear. But she just shrugged. "Ok, good. I guess I'll see the rest of ya at the castle." Dimentio frowned, thinking, "Nothing. Not even the slightest hint of fear... I like this girl. She could be quite the friend. I guess I won't be too mean to her. Or maybe I will." Everyone else left, leaving Dimentio and Vanessa alone on the street corner. Vanessa sat down cross-legged, and began struming at her guitar. She looked over at Dimentio, who was watching her as she played her guitar. She closed her eyes and started singing as people came around the corner.

* * *

She sang several songs, and at 6:00, the sun was getting closer to the horizon, and Vanessa had just finished a song. "Well, it's probably about time to start heading towards the castle." she said. She once again picked up her hat, but she stopped when she saw a few coins get tossed in. She looked up and saw Dimentio smiling. "You're a good singer. You have talent." Vanessa smiled back. She quickly pocketed the money, put her hat and guitar in her case, then replied, "Thanks, Dimmy" Dimentio frowned as Vanessa giggled, finding it funny. "Ugh, why do people insist upon calling me that?!" Vanessa shrugged and followed Dimentio to the castle, where she was greeted warmly by the others. The Count asked Dimentio to show Vanessa to her room as well. "Well, you may pick any bedroom down this hallway, except for Mimi's and Nastasia's. Each room that is occupied has it's occupants name on the door." Vanessa looked down the hall to see where Nastasia's and Mimi's rooms were. She then picked the room closest to the opening of the hallway on the left side. Dimentio snapped his fingers and her name appeared on the door. Vanessa snapped her fingers and the style her name was in changed from regular print to pretty, neat cursive in purple, surrounded by black musical notes. "I didn't know you could do magic." Dimentio said. "Only a small bit. I learned from...a friend. A different friend, not the one in the apartment." she replied. Dimentio raised and eyebrow. "A friend, huh? Well, dinner is in a few minutes. Ciao." Dimentio snapped his fingers and vanished. Vanessa walked into her room and flopped down onto her bed. She closed her eyes and rested. It was the first bed she had laid down on since she was about 20 years old. Now she was 25. She was happy to be here, even though she didn't personally know these people. After lieing there for ten minutes, she heard a knock on her door. She got up and opened it, seeing that it was Nastasia. "It's dinner time. Come on." Nastasia beckoned Vanessa to follow her. Dinner was great, and quite lively. Everyone truly seemed happy to have Vanessa there, even Dimentio. Though the others had probably told him to. "I can't tell you all how happy I am to be here." Vanessa said. "It was no problem at all, Vanessa." Timpani told her, a smile plastered across her face. "I propose a toast." Count Bleck said as he raised his glass. "To our new friend and resident. To Vanessa!" Everyone raised their glass and said, "Here, here!" After dinner, Vanessa walked to her room. "Good-night Mimi. Good-night Nastasia." she said, walking into her room. "Good-Night." Nastasia and Mimi replied. And with a comfy bed in a warm room, it would truly be a good night.

* * *

**THIS STORY IS NOW OFFICIALLY ON HIATUS. SORRY, I'M HAVING A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH WRITING, SO I'M GOING ON A WRITING HIATUS. I'LL GET BACK TO WRITING SOON THOUGH, AND IN THE MEANTIME, CHECK OUT MY OTHER STORIES AND GIVE ME YOUR OPINION. AND, THE SONG IS "Trusting You" BY Megaphoric, A YOUTUBER. THAT SONG DOES NOT BELONG TO ME.**

**~Ciao!**


	3. Who Done It? Part I

Vanessa walked down the dark path to Castle Bleck with her rolling suitcases behind her. She had a handle in each hand, the suitcases holding all of her belongings. She was officially moving into Castle Bleck and couldn't be happier. She let go of one suitcase to open one of the large, ominous doors. She walked in and closed the door behind her. As she turned back around, she felt someone grab her arm with one hand and cover her mouth with the other. The unknown person quickly pulled her into a nearby supply closet, shut the door, then let her go. The light came on, blinding her for a moment and revealing the face of Mr. L. "Excuse my language," Vanessa began, "but what the hell would make you think this damn idea was a good one?! And why hell am I in a damn supply closet with you?!" Mr. L tried to keep a straight expression on his face, but he couldn't help but let a mischieveous smile appear; a smile that made Vanessa uneasy. She raised an eyebrow and said, "If you plan on doing what I suspect, you won't live to see the light of day again. So please tell me it's not what I think and I don't have to murder you." Mr. L's smile only grew. "I don't think it's what you suspect. But, it's funny that you mentioned murder." he replied. Vanessa only seemed more confused, and even a bit scared. "Ok, so here's the jist; Dimentio and I are planning a very big prank tomorrow night and we want you to help us. But you can't tell anyone. Will you help us?" Mr. L explained. Vanessa smiled and nodded. "I'm in."

* * *

"Ok, they should all be here very soon. Most likely within the next five to ten minutes." Mr. L said. He was dressed in black pants, a black suit jacket, a green shirt, black shoes, a black tie with a backwards L on it, his mask, and the same hat he wore all the time sat atop his messy brown hair. Dimentio, who was walking beside him, wore his normal attire. "Great, it's all going as planned. Speaking of which, where's Vanessa?" Dimentio asked. "She's in the library pouring champane for the guests. And since Mimi is underage, she'll probably get fruit punch or something." Mr. L answered. He opened the door to the library and they saw a woman pouring champane. She wore a long, sleeveless purple dress that nearly reached the floor and had a slit that went up to her knee, a pair of black heels that had straps up to her ankles, and her purple hair was pulled back in a waist-length braid with a black streak through it. Behind his mask, Dimentio's jaw dropped, and so did Mr. L's. At the sound of the door closing, the woman picked up two glasses of champane and turned around. "Good evening Dimentio and Mr. L, how are the hosts of tonight's dinner doing?" Vanessa asked, her voice smooth as silk. She handed each of them a glass of champane. They'd both composed themselves, but hadn't replied, which caused Vanessa to ask, "What's wrong? Cat got you tongue?" They shook their heads and just stared at her. She rolled her eyes. "You two told me to dress nice, so I did. Don't act so surprised." she said. "We just didn't expect you to dress this nice. I must say, It certainly does suit you." Dimentio stated. Vanessa smiled. "Thank you, Dimentio. At least _someone_ has something to say." Mr. L just kept staring. Vanessa walked up and smacked him on the side of his head. "Sorry, I kinda zoned out. At first I was shocked by how you well you dressed, and then I spotted a whole section of books on mechanical engineering over there." he apologized, pointing to one of the book shelves. Vanessa only rolled her eyes again and went back to pouring champane. "You two might want to get to the foyer to greet the guests, they should be arriving any minute." she said. Mr. L and Dimentio left. Once they were far down the hallway, Mr. L asked, "So what'd ya think?" Dimentio raised an eyebrow. "About what?" he replied. "About Vanessa. I could see it in your eyes, man. You thought she was pretty." Mr. L clarified. "Pretty? Mr. L, there are many words to describe how she looked, and pretty is not one of them. She was beautiful, gorgeous, amazing, but not just pretty." Dimentio answered. "_Irresistable_?" Mr. L suggested, nudging him in the arm with his elbow and arching an eyebrow suggestively. Dimentio pushed Mr. L's arm away and pushed his hat over his face, causing him to run into the wall as they rounded the corner. "Not in that way, L." he replied. They made it to the foyer and waited a few minutes before the other members of Castle Bleck arrived, as well as the heroes. "Everyone please go to the library and everything will be explained shortly." Dimentio told them. When everyone got to the library, Vanessa warmly greeted them and handed each of them a glass of champane, except for Mimi, who got soda. "So, Vanessa, I hear you're a new resident in Castle Bleck." Peach said. Vanessa nodded. "Yes, and I love it here already. I can't thank Lord Blumiere enough for allowing me to stay here." she replied. "But what about...the jester. Doesn't he scare you?" Peach asked. "Pssh, Dimentio? I've seen scarier." She looked down for a moment and muttered, "Much scarier than him." She rolled her shoulders and smiled again. "Bottom line, Dimentio doesn't scare me." Vanessa stated. "Oh I wouldn't be too sure about that." Dimentio whispered in her ear, causing her to jump. She turned to see said jester, floating upside down, right behind her. "Are you sure you aren't afraid of me?" he asked, his voice dangerously low, and his grin malicious. Blumiere stood up and was about to intervene, but Vanessa said, "You don't scare me Dimentio. You can startle me, but you can't scare me." Vanessa looked Dimentio in the eyes. Everyone in the room was staring at Vanessa, shock written all over their faces, except for Dimentio. Something about her fearlessness intrigued him. He wanted to know more about her past. But what Vanessa did next truly took the cake in shocking them all; Dimentio was now standing on the floor, his face very close to Vanessa's, still holding the stare, when she placed a hand on his chest and pushed him back. "Stay out of my personal space, please." she said, before turning to walk out of the room. "I'm going to check and see if Dyliss and Saffron are done cooking. Ciao!" she said before closing the library door behind her. Everyone sat or stood in pure shock. Even Dimentio couldn't believe what had just happened. Mr. L asked, "Great Grambi, did that just happen?" Everyone else nodded. Dimentio's fists were clenched by his side, and he seemed ready to explode. But he calmed down, took a few deep breaths, and said, "Who's ready for dinner?" Everyone agreed that they were hungry, and Dimentio and Mr. L led them to the dining room. The table was already set, and Vanessa, Dyliss, and Saffron were walking out of the kitchen with plates of delicious smelling food. Everyone was seated, except for the chefs, who returned to the kitchen. As everyone began eating, they noticed the tension between Vanessa and Dimentio. "So, what's with the fancy dinner party?" Timpani inquired. "Wait, you don't know? But I thought this was you and your husband's idea." Peach replied. Timpani shook her head. Vanessa cleared her throat, getting everyone's attention. "Actually, tonight's dinner is being hosted by Dimentio and Mr. L. They thought we should all get together and make amends for what we've done, maybe even get to know each other." she explained. "Wait, weren't the hosts" Mr. L cut in, pointing at himself and Dimentio, "suppose to explain that?" Vanessa shrugged. "If you were, I beat you to it." she replied. "Anyways," Dimentio began, "as Vanessa said, Mr. L and I thought it would be a good idea to invite the heroes over so we could all make amends and talk things over. Afterwards, the heroes can go back home and we can go to bed." he said. Everyone continued to eat, and even made conversation. Suddenly, the lights turned off and a few screams rang out. The lights came on after nearly half a minute of screaming and panicking. "I'll go check on Dyliss and Saffron." Vanessa declared, running to the kitchen door. A moment later they heard Vanessa exclaim, "Oh my Grambi!" They all ran into the kitchen to see Vanessa, nearly crying, staring at the two dead bodies of Dyliss and Saffron lying the floor in a pool of blood, a knife in Saffron's chest. Vanessa backed away to the wall and sank to the floor, still staring in shock. Everyone let out gasps, and Mimi screamed a little. "They... they're dead." Peach choked out. "Not just dead," Dimentio said, walking forward to inspect the dead bodies, "They've been murdered. And that means there's a murderer in this castle." Dimentio gripped the handle of the knife and pulled it out of Saffron, which caused the others to cringe. "Apparently, someone came in here and stabbed them, then left them to die, leaving the blade in Saffron's chest." Dimentio observed, tossing the knife in the sink. "Come on, let's go back to the table." he told them. Everyone returned to their seats. "Ok, we need to split up-" but an angered Timpani interrupted the jester. "Split up?! Two people have been murdered and you want us to split up? Who's to say you aren't the killer?! You could be doing this so you can kill us off one by one!" Dimentio rolled his eyes. "There are a few things wrong with that. First of all, if I wanted you all dead I would've already accomplished the task." Dimentio paused for a moment as everyone just stared at him, a tensious silence setting over the room. He then continued, "And, wouldn't I have killed you all while the lights were out? Further more, if I wanted you all dead, then why would I help you all find the murderer so that you _don't _die?" he asked in a matter-of-fact tone. Timpani took a deep breath and sat back down. "Fair point, Dimentio." she said. "But who could it be if it's not you?" Every one's gaze moved to Vanessa. Noticing this, she held her hands up and said, "Woah, hold on a minute. You don't seriously think it's _me_, do you?" she asked. "Well you are the new girl around here." Mr. L pointed out. "Way to throw me under the bus, L!" she snapped at him. "Calm down and be quiet!" Dimentio demanded. Everyone immidiately went silent. "Now is not the time to jump to conclusions. That's only going to give the killer an advantage over us. We need to split up into pairs and search for evidence. Here's how you will split up. Blumiere and Timpani, Bowser and Peach, Mario and Luigi, Mimi and Nastasia, O'Chunks and Mr. L, and Vanessa and I. The first two groups will take the west wing of the castle, the next two groups will take the east wing, and the last two groups will stay here. Start on the first floor and make your way up. In about an hour, we'll meet up in the kitchen, where the murders first started. Let's go."

* * *

Blumiere, Timpani, Bowser, and Peach were searching the west wing, Mario, Luigi, Mimi, and Nastasia were searching the east wing, and O'Chunks, Mr. L, Vanessa, and Dimentio were searching the main area of the castle. An ear-piercing scream rang out causing everyone to run to the source. "What was that?!" exclaimed Bowser. Everyone was looking around the foyer until Timpani shrieked in terror. She pointed upward at the black crystal chandelier where Peach and Mimi had been hanged, their nooses connected to the chandelier. "Oh my Grambi!" Timpani cried. She began sobbing at the sight of the dead princess and shape-shifter. "But they were at opposite ends of the castle! How could the killer have gotten them both?!" Nastasia asked. "There's no telling," Dimentio answered grimly, "but now four people are dead. I'm guessing you all split up after you were assigned your section of the castle, didn't you? Whether or not you did, you shouldn't do it again. It will only help the killer. Let's get back to searching." Everyone split up once more.

* * *

**A/N: I'M SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG, BUT THE NEXT CHAPTER SHOULD BE UP IN A COUPLE WEEKS! **


End file.
